The Help
Citation: “What makes you think colored people need your help? Why you even care about this? You white.” (Page 191)
Definitions:
Colored: Belonging wholly or in part to a race other than the white, especially to the black race; influenced or biased; specious; deceptive.
Help: To save; rescue; to make easier or less difficult; to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need.
Care: Serious attention; a cause or object of concern; grief; a state of mind in which one is troubled.
White: Pale, as from fear or other strong emotion; light or comparatively light in color; morally pure; innocent.
Literal Connections: “But the guest bathroom’s where the help goes,” (Page 9)
“But I can’t help but think that I’ve just doubled the trouble…” (Page 54)
“A bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom for the colored help…” (Page 10)
“I ask Miss Leefolt first thing tomorrow do she know anybody need help.” (Page 20)
“I figure she looking at where she gone build me my new colored bathroom.” (Page 13)
“I want to yell so loud that Baby Girl can hear me that dirty ain’t a color/ when they start to think that colored folks ain’t as good as whites.” (Page 112)
“Well, you better tell em/ that colored doctor won’t operate on a white boy in a Negro hospital.” (Page 176)
“So many reasons, you white and me colored just fall some-where in between.” (Page 264)
Literal Significance:
Colored individuals in the novel are referred as a lower social status than the whites. They are generally less intelligent and valuable than the whites, because they are unsanitary, lazy, and careless.
Helping and caring literally refers to Minny refusing the aid from Aibileen and Miss Skeeter, especially from a white person. This is significant in which Miss Skeeter recognizes the feeling about being disrespected by someone of a lower social status for the first time. Her face was burning red, yet Aibileen indicates that she cares about
Definitions:
Colored: Belonging wholly or in part to a race other than the white, especially to the black race; influenced or biased; specious; deceptive.
Help: To save; rescue; to make easier or less difficult; to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need.
Care: Serious attention; a cause or object of concern; grief; a state of mind in which one is troubled.
White: Pale, as from fear or other strong emotion; light or comparatively light in color; morally pure; innocent.
Literal Connections: “But the guest bathroom’s where the help goes,” (Page 9)
“But I can’t help but think that I’ve just doubled the trouble…” (Page 54)
“A bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom for the colored help…” (Page 10)
“I ask Miss Leefolt first thing tomorrow do she know anybody need help.” (Page 20)
“I figure she looking at where she gone build me my new colored bathroom.” (Page 13)
“I want to yell so loud that Baby Girl can hear me that dirty ain’t a color/ when they start to think that colored folks ain’t as good as whites.” (Page 112)
“Well, you better tell em/ that colored doctor won’t operate on a white boy in a Negro hospital.” (Page 176)
“So many reasons, you white and me colored just fall some-where in between.” (Page 264)
Literal Significance:
Colored individuals in the novel are referred as a lower social status than the whites. They are generally less intelligent and valuable than the whites, because they are unsanitary, lazy, and careless.
Helping and caring literally refers to Minny refusing the aid from Aibileen and Miss Skeeter, especially from a white person. This is significant in which Miss Skeeter recognizes the feeling about being disrespected by someone of a lower social status for the first time. Her face was burning red, yet Aibileen indicates that she cares about